Cambridge, MA – October 12, 2007 – “Planet Protectors”, an exciting after-school initiative run by “e” inc., The Environmental Learning and Action Center, has gained another important partner: the Stearns Foundation. Attracted by “e” inc.’s fun, interactive approach to tackling tough environmental topics and the organization’s emphasis on helping students translate understanding into action, the Stearns Foundation awarded “e” inc. $8,000 to implement its “Planet Protectors” program at the Orchard Gardens Community Center in Roxbury, where it will serve elementary- and high school aged girls. “e” inc. and the Stearns Foundation are excited by the opportunity to challenge the difficulties girls have in embracing science and help them become positive actors for the environment.

The yearlong program at Orchard Gardens, entitled “Ocean Explorers”, will focus on ocean biodiversity, and specifically on helping students explore their role in keeping our ocean ecosystems healthy. It will be adapted from the ocean biodiversity curriculum that has been implemented in other area schools as part of the “Planet Protectors” initiative. Like those programs, “Ocean Explorers” will include “e” inc.’s trademark hands-on lessons, followed by immediate actions in the community, such as “adopting” storm drains to keep them clear of litter and collecting pledges from family and friends to act in more earth-friendly ways.

The “Planet Protectors” program, which also has curricula in global warming and the rainforest, aims to help local students understand the immediate relevance of the environment to their own lives and, most importantly, their capacity to act as agents of positive change. The program is currently adding sites in the Boston and Cambridge communities, with the help of partners such as the Stearns Foundation who are interested in “e” inc.’s unique mixture of environmental education and civic participation.

You can learn more about “e” inc.’s exciting work by contacting Dr. Ricky Stern (info@e-action.us or 617-227-1522).